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Children's Books About Friendship
Friendship is beautiful and essential facet of childhood and throughout one’s life. Through friendships, children are provided the opportunity to develop their social and emotional skills further.
The Benefits of Friendship for Children
Friendships help children navigate life’s experiences with the camaraderie and presence of others who keep them feeling grounded and secure.
Their ability to communicate with and relate to others is deepened through friendships, and these understandings are vital to have throughout all stages of life.
Meaningful friendships add to a child’s sense of belonging. Empathy, an integral part of lifelong social interaction, is experienced and grown through a child’s friendships with others.
Child psychologists have found that friendships benefit a child’s quality of life, facilitate positive performance in school, and contribute to building higher self-esteem in children, amongst many more positive qualities.
Children grow physically, socially, cognitively, and emotionally during their early childhood and school-age years. The support of loving, trusted adults and caregivers that can help them navigate and establish positive friendships to them is vital.
Using Kids Books to Teach About Growing Friendships
Using books about friendships for kids is a great way to engage children in learning about how to navigate and foster healthy relationships.
When using these books to teach about developing friendships, it’s essential to engage children in discussions about the themes and messages conveyed in the stories.
Encourage them to share their thoughts, relate the stories to their own experiences, and brainstorm ways to apply what they’ve learned to their daily lives. By using kids books as a teaching tool, children can develop important social skills and gain a deeper understanding of how to foster positive and lasting friendships.
Reading books together about friendship is a wonderful way to bond while building a further understanding of friendship.
Whether it’s picture books, board books, or chapter books, there are plenty of options available to help children at different stages explore the theme of friendship.
Here are some of the best books about friendship for children.
What are Some Picture Books About Friendship?
Chrysanthemum is a wonderful first-day-of-school book that focuses on treating classmates with kindness and compassion and having tolerance for others. Chrysanthemum’s name is different and experiences unkind treatment over her unique name from her new classmates. This book highlights the profound impact that words have on people, and the importance of showing respect and kindness even if someone is different.
Frog and Toad Are Friends is a collection of classic stories depicting Frog and Toad’s genuine friendship. This book beautifully showcases the ups and downs of friendship, as Frog and Toad navigate through challenges while always remaining true friends.
A Friend for Henry is a heartwarming picture book that addresses the challenges faced by children with autism when it comes to making friends. The story revolves around Henry, who longs for a friend but struggles with social interactions. This book educates children about acceptance, empathy, and the power of kindness in forming meaningful friendships.
My Friend is Sad is another addition to Mo Willems’ classic Elephant & Piggie series. My Friend is Sad is about two friends that have personalities that balance one another out (Gerald worries a lot, while Piggie is more carefree). In this story, Gerald is sad. Can Piggie help him feel happy again? Mo Willems uses humor and simple text to explore the social dynamic between friends when one tries to cheer the other one up.
The Invisible Boy is a touching picture book that addresses the challenges of feeling invisible and showcases the power of friendship. It teaches children about empathy, inclusion, and the importance of reaching out to those who may be overlooked or left out.
Leonardo, the Terrible Monster follows a monster named Leonardo who hasn’t been able to scare anyone lately. What’s a monster without his ability to scare?! He finally scares a nervous little boy, but soon realizes that maybe scaring people isn’t as fun or exciting as he thought. Leonardo realizes throughout the book that he actually is capable of being a better friend than a monster. This book shows children the profound impact that kindness can have on a person…or even a monster.
How to Be a Friend: A Guide to Making Friends and Keeping Them is an informative book that provides children with practical advice on making friends and establishing healthy boundaries in their friendships. It covers topics such as communication, conflict resolution, and the importance of mutual respect.
Moon’s First Friends is a friendship story for children who enjoy learning about science and space. The Moon watches the earth over the years as exciting things happen over the course of history. But she feels lonely, wondering if anyone will ever come to visit her. One day, a spaceship from Earth comes! This book recaps the first moon landing through a charming friendship story. It highlights the value of a friend and companionship. There are also fascinating space facts in the back of the book for your aspiring little astronauts.
A Friend Is Someone Who… is a rhyming book that describes the best qualities and characteristics of friendship within different contexts. It teaches readers how to navigate childhood friendship and highlights the profound and beautiful impact that good friends can have on a child’s life.
Penguin finds Pinecone in the snow but must return him to the forest where he belongs. Will they be able to remain friends? Penguin and Pinecone: A Friendship Story is about being a friend and showing love from a distance. Geared towards toddlers and preschoolers, this book could also be a helpful story for young children who have a long-distance friend, or a close friend who’s moving away.
Bear and Goose are so different. Can they be friends despite their differences? A Splendid Friend, Indeed is about making (and keeping!) new friends. Great story for toddlers and preschool age children.
George and Martha, a classic from 1974, is a compilation of stories featuring two hippo best friends, George and Martha. There are five different stories in one book documenting George and Martha’s friendship and their many quirks and interactions. Each of the stories in this book furthers the development of a child’s understanding of friendship in a playful and humorous way.
Little Blue and Little Yellow are best friends but get separated and can’t find each other. Once they’re reunited, they hug so tightly that they collectively turn green! This classic Leo Lionni book follows them on the journey of finding their true colors again while treasuring their friendship. It explores the differences of others and develops an appreciation for unity.
The Happy Lion is a classic story published in 1954 following a lion’s turbulent journey to friendship. It’s a sweet story about solving miscommunications, and the importance and significant impact of even just one person showing kindness to another.
Frank and Bean are an unlikely pair. Frank enjoys peace and quiet while writing in his notebook, and Bean enjoys playing and listening to loud, cheerful music. Will they be able to work out their differences and get along? This amusing story emphasizes compromise and its significant role in friendship.
Teach Your Dragon to Make Friends is another installment in the My Dragon Books series by Steve Herman. In this story, the dragon feels lonely because no one wants to play with him. Fortunately, friendship skills can be learned, even by dragons! This book stimulates a child’s imagination while teaching important life skills.
This story focuses on the feeling and significance of belonging to a community and having friends you can count on. In this book, we follow SPOT around while he explains how to make others feel like they belong, and how to show kindness.
The Little Book of Friendship is a picture book that celebrates friendship. It portrays different types of scenarios and the challenges kids may experience when developing new relationships. This book imparts valuable lessons about the value of friendships and how to be a good friend to others.
A New Friend for Sparkle introduces young readers to the concept of making new friends. It tells the story of Lucy and her unicorn Sparkle as they navigate the challenges of finding a new friend. With its charming characters and engaging storyline, this book encourages children to embrace change and embrace the possibilities of new friendships.
Final Thoughts on Children's Books About Friendship
Books have the power to inspire, educate, and entertain children. When it comes to friendship, these books serve as valuable tools in helping children understand the complexities of relationships and navigate their way through making friends and maintaining healthy friendships.
Whether through picture books, board books, or chapter books, children can learn important friendship skills and develop a deeper appreciation for the bonds they form with others.
The Value of Stories
Children begin to form their world through stories. The wisdom that storytelling provides is invaluable in so many ways.
Stories benefit children in practical ways, such as growing their vocabulary and building their background knowledge of the world.
It also benefits them in developmental ways as they learn more about problem-solving, and follow curiosity. Stories are very productive for a child’s social-emotional development and the development of their imagination and creativity.
It is our hope that this list is a helpful resource for you as you build your classroom library or child’s book collection in regards to friendship!
About the Author
In addition to being a bestselling children’s book author, Dane Furfaro is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and has worked with children and families for over 10 years. He has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Concordia College and a master’s degree in Educational Psychology with a specialization in counseling from the University of Minnesota. He has been fortunate to empower many children and adults in their journeys to create better futures for themselves.
